University of Silesia in Katowice

Within the second edition of ‟A Graduate with Passion” poll, a February 2014 graduate was chosen: Grzegorz Gawlik, a graduate of the Faculty of Law and Administration at the University of Silesia, a traveller, mountaineer, journalist, photographer and lawyer. He travelled to over 60 countries on six continents. He often climbs and travels alone. He communicates his impressions and observations in travel, journalist and sport articles (he covered the 2012 Summer Olympics in London). He writes blogs and expedition reports.

Professional activity

Already as a law student, he has gained practical knowledge during internships in law firms; after his studies he worked, among others, as a lawyer in the „Ślązak Zapiór i Partnerzy” Office of Legal Advisors and Lawyers in Katowice, in the District Court in Bytom as an assistant to the judge and at the Katowice Airport in Pyrzowice as a specialist in public procurement and tenders. He worked as a lawyer and accounting specialist in law firms and private companies. He obtained accreditation and worked during the 2012 Olympic Games in London; among others, he wrote press articles.

After finishing his law studies at the University of Silesia in Katowice, Grzegorz Gawlik deepened his own knowledge, especially practical one. He has specialized in legal analyses and opinions, primarily in the field of civil law, labour law and public procurement. Thanks to numerous travel expeditions to 64 countries, he has vast knowledge in the field of international relations, as well as related to geography, nature, tourism and transport organization. During the expeditions, he became acquainted with the functioning of several dozen countries, their level of development, social and cultural life, including various problems they face, and how to solve them. He explored the wildest and most inaccessible places on Earth, as well as areas subject to armed conflict. There are few people in Poland who have this type of knowledge that is so extensive. That is why he often has the role of an expert (e.g. on TVN24 television).

Passions

Grzegorz Gawlik practices mountaineering and rock climbing. He organized his first major mountaineering and hiking expedition to the Caucasus in 2002. And since then he has been implementing increasingly difficult, ambitious and longer projects. More than once he was close to death. He climbed several hundred peaks, including twenty with a height of over seven, six and five thousand meters, including those in the Himalayas, Pamir, Andes and the Caucasus, and several dozen active volcanoes. He is a member of the Mountaineering Club in Katowice and Polish Tourist and Sightseeing Society (PTTK). He organizes trips, often climbs and travels alone, even for several months. In mid-2013, he launched his travel portal: grzegorzgawlik.pl.

In addition, he has specialized in nature and travel photography. His pictures were published, among others, in such magazines as ‘N.P.M.’, ‘Globtroter’, ‘Discover the World’, daily newspapers including ‘Dziennik Zachodni’ and ‘Gazeta Wyborcza’, and news portals, including Onet.pl and Interia.pl. His pictures are also presented at lectures and exhibitions. Currently, the Rotunda gallery in the Bytom Culture Centre hosts the exhibition titled ‟Travels from and against the tide ‒ exhibition of Grzegorz Gawlik’s travel photography”. The exhibition can be viewed until April 30, 2014.

Moreover, in 2013 he published the thriller novel The Destruction Stone (Polish: Kamień Zagłady; he is also working on a travel book.

In 2008, he was one of the founders (he prepared the legal basis its functioning, among others) of the ‟Progres” Socio-Educational Association in Bytom (KRS 0000327390). In the most difficult, initial period he served as its president (until mid-2011). The association is particularly focused on running workshops for young people to prevent addiction and social pathologies. He also helps various people in legal-related matters. In addition, he fights to improve the image of the city of Bytom, promotes tourism in the Silesian District and in whole Poland (among others, as a co-author of the book Poland, let yourself be surprised ‒ magical routes, published in 2013). He deals with various issues as a journalist, for which he received several awards, including Best Citizen Journalist 2012 (organized by Interia360.pl) and Interia readers’ award in a voting (by text messages) for the best article in 2012. He cooperates with Culture Centres and other cultural entities, where he gives lectures on the world and shows slides for no remuneration.

Grzegorz Gawlik on himself: ‟I am constantly developing and I do not intend to stop”.